Review: Inka Pen - Gift Idea

Here's another potential gift for a writer - even yourself. The Inka is a short pen about the size of a keyring - and, in fact, it has a ring built onto the sheath. The pen's case is made out of either stainless steel ($20 model) or titanium ($50), which means strong and light. The ink cartridge ($4 for a replacement) is pressurized, so it writes upside down (I tried it), in extreme cold (sorry, but I don't want to stand outside in this New England winter scribbling), and under water (nice thought, and I guess I could put on my scuba gear, but I don't know where my supply of waterproof paper is, and without that, writing underwater is pretty academic). For those of you who remember, this may sound like that old "Space Pen" - and it's a similar concept.

You can pull the pen out of the metal sleeve and write, though it's really short, even if it is fast access. If you have a bit more time, you can take off the end cap (exposing a stylus for use with a PDA, if you lose the normal one), unscrew the barrel from the key ring, and reassemble everything together for something that is easy to use. This is a little time consuming, and you have the extra cap and the key ring to keep in a pocket while you write, but this isn't a pen that you'd use all the time. Instead, I see it as a spare that happens to work under unpleasant conditions that might sideline a regular pen.

Review: Belkin Mouse Trap, Cruzer USB Memory

Here are a few suggestions for when you're traveling - or if you need gift ideas for the person never seen without a laptop. The first product is the Belkin Mouse Trap. No, it's not a staging for the Agatha Christie play, but, rather, a handy small case. I know I'm not a big fan of touch pads, and when I remember to, bring a travel mouse with me - something small that I can move about and whose buttons I can click. But the problem has been finding a surface that works well with it, as even when I do remember the mouse, I don't remember to bring an extra mouse pad.

That's where the Mouse Trap comes in. It's got a semi-circular shape with a zipper on the outside. You can store a USB cable or two, even a travel mouse, zip it up, and slide it into your laptop case. Why bother? Not only do you have some of those little knickknacks that you may need, but when you unzip it, the case opens up and offers ... a mouse pad surface. There's a circular strip on the outside of the case that helps it stay in one place while you slide the mouse about. Retail price is $12.99.

USB memory sticks are pretty standard fare, but I've been using a SanDisk Cruzer Titanium (not actually made out of the metal) for a while. There are two reasons. One is that the USB connector on the model I have actually slides into and out of the case, meaning that I can't lose the cap, which leaves would leave the connector exposed. The other is the synchronization software. I can sync the Cruzer with my copy of Outlook, and then let me run my emails, calendars, contacts, and so on from the Cruzer. In other words, I get to take important parts of my computer with me while the computer stays in the office. It's the digital equivalent of "I went to a big conference in a fabulous city and all my computer got was this crummy t-shirt." List is about $35 for the 1GB version, $50 for the 2GB, and $100 for the 4GB.

If you already have the USB memory, then I've heard about synchronization software that might interest you, although I haven't had a chance to try it yet. It's called MojoPac. There's a free version and a higher-end consumer version that runs $49.99. I don't know all the details, but you can check them at the web site. At worst, you download the free version and find that it doesn't do what you need.

Review: Pyramat Laptop Sound Booster

I had some products recently cross my desk for some articles and thought that some of them might be of interest to writers. The Pyramat Laptop Sound Booster is a quasi-portable device that acts as a combination lap desk and laptop base with a couple of built-in speakers. You can connect a laptop to it via a USB cable. Instead of the laptop, you can also connect an iPod or other MP3 player. The speakers significantly boost sound - I found that they completely outshone the speakers built into my hefty Toshiba Satellite. There was some vibration in the base from the sound, but not unpleasantly so. And the base acts as an insulator, so your lap doesn't get too hot from the machine.

When paired with a laptop, the USB cable pulls power from the machine, or you can run it off batteries when paired with a music player, letting you listen to music if working longhand. They tout an "ergonomic design," and I found it comfortable enough to use. (I often take a laptop down into the living room for a change of scenery.) Sharper Image has them for about $90. It's too large to throw into your laptop case, so if you want to travel with it, expect to make room in your suitcase. If you use your laptop extensively, enjoy listening to music, and want to enjoy music you've ripped from your CD collection or downloaded from the Internet, this is a decent way of doing so without having to wear a headset.